technicallyhellbound | for @convincingsmile - Nobody's dying today (probably)

Charles was focused. He was silent and focused on everything Edwin told him. He put his hands where he instructed him and held on tight. So tight that he could feel Edwin's muscles, and even his bones under his grip. His expression was blank as he held on, holding the boy as he put his shoulder back in its socket. Yes, it had the worst sound, and yes Charles would hear it for months. But not because it was horrible in itself, it was because it was Edwin's body.

As Edwin was trying to work through his pain, Charles was also attempting to get a grip on himself. He pressed his forehead against the boy's shoulder, as if he could will his pain away. As if he could take it on himself. He didn't let go of his arm, only loosened his grip a little.

"That was a hell of a sound, wasn't it?" Charles remarked in a tense breath, raising his gaze at Edwin. Then quickly wiped his eyes from the tears of tension. He swallowed, then slid a hand on Edwin's back rubbing as gently as he could but trying to let him know that he was there. "We gotta go, yeah? Somewhere safe, somewhere you can..." heal? Die again? Be a ghost again? Either way, somewhere not here. "Our friend's trapped, yeah? It's gonna stay, we can come back to banish it," he said.

"Quite." He replied to the first, it was all he had, really, because it was a horrible sound. While he'd mostly managed to bring himself back to something stable again when Charles' line of questioning followed and he shook his head, "We cannot simply leave it here, Charles, it's too dangerous. Yes, for now it's trapped, but it is also a poltergeist, an angry spirit, leaving it here wouldn't simply be dangerous and irresponsible, it would be cruel."

He was wheezing faintly again by the time he'd finished, he'd forgotten, really, just how much breath speaking normally took, let alone his usual tirades, and cracked ribs didn't make that any easier. He took another deep breath, forcing himself to settle again, "At least if it's banished it's in the hands of the Department, they're better equipped than we are." It wouldn't be the Lost and Found, at least not likely, but there were other Departments, as they'd learned being somewhat-official employees.

"Bloody Hell, Edwin, it also would be cruel to let you die here mate," Charles snapped. "You're in danger too, yeah? For once, just for once think about yourself!" He tilted his head to look into Edwin's face. He was begging. If Edwin insisted he would go and banish that ghost, he would know how. It may take longer without Edwin there but Charles could do it. Only, his heart would break, he wouldn't want to let Edwin go without knowing he was safe, even for those few minutes.

"Charles, it's a couple of cracked ribs, that's all." He wasn't sure that was actually all, he had no way of being sure of that, and of course there was all the external damage from falling through the loft floor, most of it still oozing blood in a way that was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, "I promise you I'm not at Death's door, even in my... unfortunate current state." Which either meant how battered he was or the fact that they were, apparently, living again, maybe even both.

"I will sit, right here, keeping still, until you return if that will make you happy and secure in the thought that I'm not doing anything to injure myself further or aggravate the injuries I've already sustained." It wasn't sharp, it wasn't an argument, it was exactly what it sounded like, an offer, a vow even, because he hadn't fully realized until that outburst just how worried Charles actually was, and it was with good reason, all things considered.

Charles' shoulders slumped. He knew Edwin would insist, he knew it because he knew Edwin. He let go of a trembling breath, looking up toward the floor they fell in from. If he was a ghost he could go up there easily, but with the floor being so unstable, and there wasn't anything to use in the room for climbing, Charles knew he had to find the stairs again. He bit in his lips in an attempt to bite back any curses that would have left him.

"Right," he sniffed, rubbing his nose for a moment. "Right," he nodded. Yes, Edwin didn't order him, he wasn't like that. But Charles knew when to act. It was how they worked. He pushed the first aid kit toward Edwin.

"Here, if anything, like, goes wrong when I'm not here," he said. Then he took his backpack. "I'll get to the stairs, find my way up," he said, to tell Edwin why he was using the door. He didn't look at him, he just couldn't. This all felt like he was abandoning him. After a moment of hesitation, before he would have gone, he reached for Edwin and leaned in for a quick kiss on his lips. Then, he got up before he could have launched them into another argument.

"Thank you, Charles." He replied, sagging forward again, he could have done it himself if he'd been able to see the thing from where he was, and he would have tromped up the stairs to do it himself except that he didn't trust his stamina -or his voice after having done so- with the cracked ribs.

That and the fact that they might be fully broken and not just cracked, in which case it was probably even worse.

He swayed forward reflexively into that kiss once Charles was drawing away, blinking slowly, surprised by it, but Charles was already off and moving before he could come up with an actual response. He did pop the first aid kit open to get at a packet of antiseptic wipes so he could at least deal with the scraped arms as well as daubing at the place where his shoulder had been pierced by that shard of wood, he couldn't fully see the injury himself and couldn't determine whether it would need stitches or just a bit of gauze and tape.

Charles wiped his eyes angrily as he was running down the corridor toward the stairs. He got out of breath by the time he got there but he didn't stop. In some ways, he welcomed the sensation of his lungs feeling like they were on fire. So it was true... they were alive. He was alive. And Edwin was alive. Could this the true? Was this permanent? But as he ran up the stairs and tried to look down the next corridor on which room the poltergeist was trapped in he pulled his focus back. Edwin needed him and he was hurt. And he wasn't going let Charles take care of him until the bloody case wasn't job jobbed. Charles could scream out of frustration.

It took him long minutes to find the room, as the howling of the poltergeist was very disorienting but in the end, Charles hurried into it. He almost stumbled into the gap Edwin's fall made, pulling back at the last moment. He took a second to check on his friend, seeing him trying to patch up a wound. The sight was surreal, and that was an understatement. But Charles once again forcefully had to remind himself to focus.

Yet again, he was hissing in pain when he had to dip his hand into the backpack to get the necessary items, black salt among them. The banishing ritual wasn't that intricate, as a trapped poltergeist didn't pose as much of a treat as one reining free. The banishing, though, took him longer than time than when they did it together. Now he had to say the spell, mind the salt, make sure the poltergeist didn't escape through the cracks... and try not to go too fast and get back to Edwin. Charles messed up the words many times as he had to read them and with each time he grew more and more impatient.

But when the ghost was finally banished to whichever department, Charles looked down at Edwin, spreading his arms as frustrated as he could get.

"Banished, yeah? Happy? Now can we please go?"

Edwin's first instinct was to snap back, more short-tempered than usual himself thanks to the lingering pain, because that was something he'd forgotten about as well, even iron burns eased after a few minutes, and any of the torments of hell were gone along with the destroyed self, which of course meant that they were fresh and new every time, but that was an entirely different sort of torture to the constant, exhausting, lingering ache.

Which was why he took a breath before responding, "Yes, thank you Charles." And then, "Before you come back down, would you please check for anything odd, markings or symbols about the lintel on the door or about the mirror?" Another breath, frustrated again that even just that small amount of talking took so much air, "I'd do it myself, but I don't think I can manage the stairs." And given the way the floor had disintegrated before, he doubted it would hold both their weight even if he did manage to get up there.

Realizing belatedly that Charles probably needed an explanation, he added: "It's only that I went through the mirror, and you didn't, and yet we're both suffering the same effects." He had, indeed, gone through it, he'd meant to return to the office and come back once he was sure the poltergeist was trapped, but he'd gone through the mirror itself as if it were an empty frame, and that was what had landed him -by way of going through the floor- back on the ground floor of the building.

Watching Edwin struggle to speak did not help Charles' mood at all. He was already ready to drop down again when his friend spoke. Charles huffed.

"Edwin, I hope you know you're alive now and I can strangle you," he said. "You just stay there, yeah?" He got up, kicked the used trap the poltergeist was in in his helpless fury, and started to pace around. He only made his steps a bit more careful when he heard the floor creak once again. The last thing he wanted was to fall down, maybe on top of Edwin even. His body hurt. All over. He knew this pain so well, it was the pain of exhaustion. A nostalgic sensation. And he hated that it made him excited, on top of everything...

"There's nothing here!" he exclaimed, even without checking properly. Though that venting was needed for him to really check because if Edwin was to nag him again, he would... maybe regret his words. And the explanation helped. Right, they needed to figure out what happened. "I mean," Charles started looking around. "No signs on the mirror, or the door," he reported. "Some runes on the floor, I think it was a circle," he frowned.

"I'm aware." He replied, dry as ever, "And I've no doubt that both Crystal and the Night Nurse will threaten to kill us for allowing this to happen." He waited then, hating that he couldn't actually help, as he had at least some idea what he was looking for and didn't know if Charles did.

When the answer came he swore, softly, pinching the bridge of his nose and running that hand up over his face and into his hair, "Will you be able to remember them to be able to sketch them out when we return to the office?" He'd seen Charles struggle with the bag now that he was living again, and didn't want to risk his having to use it to find something to write with, if he even had such a thing in there as it was.

"One problem at a time, mate!" Charles yelled. He could handle the Nurse fine, but Crystal? No, better not think about that.

Charles did wish Edwin was there. He had eyes for these things, and he noticed everything. Suddenly he wasn't even sure if what he saw was anything at all... And then the thousand quids question came.

"Don't bloody do this to me, Edwin," Charles muttered, letting his friend know that there was no fucking way he could remember... And he never carried any pen or paper because that was all Edwin! Where he stood, it was supposed to be Edwin! Edwin was the brains, the note-taker, the whole fucking business. Charles was... the other, less important bits. "Right, I can't write it down either, but," Charles huffed again, out of breath. He dipped his hand back into his bag, feeling like it was going to be crushed the next time he would do it again. Then took out Crystal's Polaroid camera. She got it on a whim and banished it into Charles' backpack after a day of having fun with it.

It took Charles a bit to snap the first picture but then he made a few of the half-broken floor and the runes for Edwin to see. He looked around if there was anything, and took a picture of the door and the mirror too. He wanted to take a picture of the used trap too but by then the camera used all of its pictures.

When Charles was done he folded the pictures together so they wouldn't just flap away as he dropped them down to Edwin.

"'S this gonna do?" he asked.

The initial response of: "What?" Before he realized just what it was Charles had dropped to him was quickly followed by: "Charles that's brilliant!" Tone delighted and fond in a way he probably didn't fully realize, but it was a tone -and a statement- that was definitely sincere.

He checked over the pictures, shuffling them into an order he could use -he'd copy the runes down larger once they returned to the office, so they could actually be seen at something close to full size, and he'd even do what he could to recreate the placement and the through-lines of the circle as well, just to see if he could determine what it had originally been for, because it was entirely possible that using the trap for the poltergeist on top of it was what had caused the problem in the first place, if the circle itself wasn't the issue.

He tucked the pictures into the pocket with his notebook to make sure they were secure, "I've managed as much first aid as I'm able, I'll need assistance covering my shoulder before we start back to the office." He did know better than to leave it exposed, especially as they were going to be walking for a while, and that was something he already wasn't looking forward to with the way his chest still felt tight and his breathing too shallow.

When Edwin didn't yell further instructions for him to do, Charles looked around once last time. But there was nothing else in the room. So he jumped down again, hissing as his knees complained. He could see Edwin already thinking, already forming theories and plans and honestly, it was one of the only things that could relax Charles. His shoulders were still tense and he still wanted to punch a wall but at least they were going to leave this bloody place soon.

He knelt to help Edwin up but then he made yet another good point. Right, yes. They had bodies and wounds. And wounds could get nasty if they weren't treated. Charles took a deep breath, looking at the wound.

"Right," he said. "You gotta take off your jacket for me to work," he said. "And the waistcoat, and the shirt. Otherwise, I gotta tear them up," he added.

He winced a little at the solid noise of Charles' landing, the way he could feel it reverberated through the floorboards, just one of many things he'd forgotten about happening as a living being.

His brow creased just a little at Charles' instructions, pausing before remembering that yeah, he was going to have to do that manually. Once again making sure the polaroids and his notebook were secure, he peeled carefully out of his jacket, folding it into quick quarters and setting it aside, followed by the waistcoat, and while it made him pale again thanks to the way the movement shifted his ribs, his hands were still steady as he worked the buttons of his shirt free to shrug carefully out of it as well, lamenting the rip in the shoulder thanks to that initial wood fragment.

"I'm not sure how well I managed to clean it." He commented, voice a little quieter than usual, keeping himself steady, "Couldn't reach it that well."

Once Charles knew that Edwin was going to do as told, for once, he put his bag down next to them. Then he turned back just to see Edwin getting... undressed. And once again Charles' focus was definitely on the wrong places. He had seen Edwin in various undress before, and sometimes undressing too, but that was more rare. This time he could watch an alive Edwin take off his clothes. And when actual skin was revealed, Charles went still.

He definitely had a body alright, and blood, and it was circulating healthily.

Once again, Edwin's tone was what brought I'm back to the present. He frowned, looking at the wound. It was half cleaned, it was obvious where Edwin could reach and where he was unable to. So Charles licked his lips and took some of the antiseptic wipes to finish what Edwin started.

"This may sting," he muttered. One of his hands was steadying Edwin, while the other was working. And while he was still scared and worried, he still couldn't stop thinking how warm Edwin was under his touch. When he was done cleaning he leaned closer to check if he could see any splinters. Thankfully, nothing caught his eye, other than Edwin's skin. "Right, hold still. Got some bandages now," Charles muttered, trying to do this in small steps to not get overwhelmed and slip or hurt Edwin somehow.

He just gave a little nod at the initial warning, because that sting was something he was well familiar with now, as he'd been doing his best to clean the rest of his injuries. For the most part the loft floor breaking under him hadn't managed to get through his layers to skin, aside from that one, essentially, stab wound to his shoulder, his hands were scraped up, though he'd managed to take care of that himself, as well as his face, though that hadn't gotten much damage at all.

He hadn't yet noticed that Charles was being unfortunately distracted by the exact same thing he was, the warmth of the other boy's skin against his own, and Charles' step-by-step commentary was only a good thing, as it kept him on track and didn't let his thoughts drift too far, there was another quiet: "Thank you, Charles." At the mention of a bandage, as he'd mostly managed to regulate his breathing again after the way it had caught while undressing. He didn't think it was getting worse, but it definitely wasn't getting better either, and he wasn't sure whether that was actually a good sign or not.

"'S no problem," Charles muttered as he gently covered the wound with gauze, and taped it on. Thankfully it didn't seem like it was bleeding that much, not a worrying amount, but for a ghost to bleed at all was still alarming. "Done," Charles sighed. He looked at the bandage before his hand slipped to the base of Edwin's neck in his back, his fingers pressing on his neck gently. God he was so warm, and so... soft? Somehow. He watched Edwin's skin and adoring how pink it could get under all that pale.

"Sorry for yelling at you," Charles said and before he could have told himself it was a bad idea he leaned in to kiss the back on Edwin's neck. Bloody hell, he needed to get a grip. "Lemme help you dress and then... can we still travel by mirror?"

His breath caught just a little at that brush of a kiss, though before he could collect himself to say anything about it, or to mention that the apology was unnecessary as Edwin well understood that tensions had been running high and they were unfortunately far more corporeal than they usually were, which just wound everything all the higher, Charles' asked his question about travel.

He just shook his head, "No, that's what I was trying to do before realizing I was... this, again." A loose gesture with one hand towards his chest, "I just went right through. I'd been trying to go to the office and back, and that's clearly not what happened. We'll have to walk, I'm afraid." Mostly he was thankful that they weren't that far from the office, and had only mirrored in to start with because it was easier, especially when trying to take a poltergeist by surprise.

Charles looked up a the mirror as if it was personally responsible for everything that happened. But he was just trying to think, trying to keep himself straight but finding that he was getting tired. It was unnerving. Because it had been a while he felt tired because of his body and he wasn't sure if he remembered when his limit was...

"Shit," Charles cursed. Then he took a deep breath. "I'll carry you, yeah? The office is not that far," he said. He was ready to do it. Grab Edwin, on his back or in his arms, however, but take him and drag him back. To take him home. "Want my coat?" he asked already shouldering out of it. He noted how the bandage on the other may not make it possible for Edwin to put back his shirt. Or his pain, for that matter.

"Charles, my legs still work." He replied, already working at getting his shirt back on, moving slowly and carefully as he did, both in deference to not wanting to risk the taped edges of that bandage peeling up or sticking to the fabric, but also because between the shoulder and his ribs he couldn't turn as freely or as fully as he usually did, "I can manage the walk."

He gave the waistcoat a baleful look, because while he wanted the comfort of his usual layers, wanted something to be normal, he knew that he wouldn't be able to manage both that and his jacket, and of the two the jacket was the more important.

It was also why his brow creased a little at Charles' second offer, shaking his head and clasping Charles' elbow gently, "You'll need it. We can feel the cold now after all." He was thankful that in that area, at that hour, there wasn't likely to be anyone else about, which meant they were unlikely to draw attention, either.

"I know, but-!" Charles whined. He would hate to watch Edwin walk while he was in pain. Though he did admit it may have been humiliating for him to be carried. But there was nothing humiliating in it! Charles could show how strong he was! That he could still carry his friend all heroically. He needed to do something with this energy. But Edwin was right he could walk.

"Right, right," Charles swallowed. Then just took the waistcoat Edwin didn't put on and put it in the backpack. One less thing for him to carry. "But lean on me at least, yeah? Could be easier to walk like that," he said as he got up and offered a hand.

"That, I believe, is going to be a given." Mostly he was thankful that Charles didn't press the issue, because he didn't think he had it in him to argue if he had, because it was definitely a matter of humiliation -even if no one saw it- but also the fact that being picked up and dragged off was something that had happened far too often in Hell, and he much preferred having a say in how or when he was moved, even if he was being carried to somewhere he actually wanted to go.

As it was, he accepted the hand up, though almost reached for it with the injured side at first before correcting himself and using the other hand. He did blanch again, briefly, once he was on his feet, but he didn't sway the way he'd done when just sitting up from where he'd first hit the floor, though it was hard to say if that was a good sign or not.

Once he was steady all he had to say was: "Once we're outside we'll keep the river to our left and we'll be going the right direction."

Charles didn't let go of Edwin's hand until he was sure he wasn't going to fall. Or faint. Oh god, they could faint now... as some living do.

"I know London, Edwin," Charles assured in a sad smile. He sometimes roamed the streets when he couldn't calm down. Without the talent to mirror travel, he would often stick to walking. Sometimes he went the long way, and pretended he was alive. London was bustling and huge, but not to a ghost of thirty years walking its streets and longing for his steps to give a noise on the cobblestone. It shrunk but got further, in a way. "I know you know the map too," Charles added and squeezed Edwin's hand. "We'll be back soon, yeah?"

Oh and he wouldn't let go of Edwin's hand until they were back at the office, safe and sound.

"I know." He replied to the first, "It was a reminder to myself as well." He could keep the map in his head, he often did in fact, he'd honed that sense of direction in hell, but sometimes, when he'd mirrored in somewhere he needed to remind himself of the physical location in relation to the starting point, or end point, in this case.

He nodded at the actual question, returning that gentle squeeze, loath to let go of Charles' hand, and thankful that Charles seemed to be of the same opinion.

He did have to stop to catch his breath twice along the way, both times trying to remind himself to move more slowly afterward, which he managed for a time, but ended up resuming his usual quicker walking pace before long. Upon arrival at the office, all he had to say was: "Not looking forward to the stairs." Before actually managing to slow himself down instead of taking them at his usual speed. He was wheezing faintly again by the time they were actually in the office proper, lowering himself gingerly to the sofa, canted forward, elbows resting on his knees, as if the angle might help regain his breath more easily.

For a while now Charles knew that his mission was to keep Edwin safe. Hell, the moment he told him he would stick with him, he knew. But there was something about them being alive during all that. Suddenly, there were a whole lot of other issues coming with both of them being dead. Suddenly they had bodies, and they could get noticed by people. Charles was still confident in his ability to protect Edwin, but he knew if anyone decided to pick on them that day he wouldn't be able to hold back.

Thankfully they could get back to the office without being noticed. He held Edwin's hand during the walk and helped him up the stairs, and made sure he was fine as he helped him onto the sofa. And then Charles just stood there, feeling a little helpless.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked quietly.

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